I rolled over on the couch as I heard my phone. Just having woken up I was still groggy and fumbled around for a few seconds trying to find it. Not even thinking about who it might be, I clicked the button and put it to my ear.

"Yeah?"

"Where have you been?" Ashlyn asked as I rolled onto my back and tried to wake up.

"Becky woke up fussy this morning and Randa is having a fit dealing with her," Ashlyn said.

"NOOOO MOMMY!" Becky screamed in protest.

"So nothing has changed?" I asked as Ashlyn laughed.

"Not one bit," Ashlyn said.

"You're treading on thin ice, Ash," Miranda warned from the background. "Can you please help me?"

"I'm shaking in my lacey thong," Ashlyn said.

"No more details about what you're wearing, huh?" I asked.

"Maybe," Ashlyn said. "So where are you?"

"I'm in Miranda's old apartment," I said. "Laying on the couch. Spent the night here as a matter of fact."

"Breaking and entering?" Ashlyn asked as I laughed.

"No, I did not," I said. "The girl who lives here now goes to school with me."

"So how did you end you up end over there this early in the morning?" Ashlyn asked.

"We watched movies till late and I slept on the couch," I said. "Just woke up."

"Get some?" Ashlyn asked as I laughed.

"No, I did not 'get some'," I said.

"Becky, come here," Ashlyn said to her little girl.

"What Mommy?" Becky asked.

"Why are you not being good?" Ashlyn asked as I listened.

"Dat Mommy mean," Becky said and referring to Miranda.

"I'll show you mean," Miranda said.

"Will you please take a bath for me? You got pre-school and you like that," Ashlyn asked softly.

"OK Mommy," Becky said. "You give me bath?"

"Go ask your other Mommy," Ashlyn said. "She never gets to do that. Would make her happy."

"Really?" Becky asked and soon you could hear her scampering across the kitchen to Miranda and asking, "You give me bath now Mommy?"

"Yes I will my little muffin top," Miranda said. "You're good Ash."

"You sure are, sis," I said as Ashlyn giggled. The knob on the front door began to rattle and a moment later someone who looked a lot like Kacey came in and stopped cold when she saw me laying on the couch. "Ash, I'll call you back. K, bye, love you."

"UMMMMMM who are you?" the lady asked.

"I'm Kaylyn Kersh, a friend of Kacey's," I said. "You're her Mom? Alex?"

"That would be me," Alex said as she shook my hand. "I didn't know my daughter had any friends close enough to sleep over."

"She's my lesbian lover," Kacey said as she appeared at the entrance to the short hallway leading to her bedroom.

"Very funny," her mother said and became alarmed when she saw my slightly swollen lip and her arm in a sling. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I got pushed down a flight of stairs at school," Kacey said. "And then jumped in the parking lot."

"And you?" Alex said as she looked to me. "How did you end up with a fat lip?"

"Trying to protect me," Kacey said as Alex looked at me in a new light.

"But it's her that ended up saving both of us," I said. "She beat the stuff out of Ali Curtis."

"That's Stacey's little tag-along, right?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Kacey said. "But Stacey and Ali are both suspended for two weeks."

"I will never understand the brainless mind of a teenage girl with money," Alex said. "And I am too exhausted to deal with this right now. Double shifts will do that."

"You shouldn't be working so hard, mom," Kacey said.

"And who else is gonna pay for the food in the fridge?" Alex asked. "We're not yet lucky enough to have met a sugar Daddy."

"I know a few," I said as both giggled, not knowing that I was serious. I was too. Dad knows a ton of rich, single guys who would love a woman who looked like Alex. I thought at that moment that maybe I should wait until I knew her a little better before I mentioned anything like that.

"Well, I'm off to bed and fortunately I don't have to work tonight so I can sleep in," Alex said. "Are you two off to school?"

"Pretty soon," I said. "Maybe borrow a shower before."

"And who's classic Mustang is that sitting in front of the building?" Alex asked.

"Mine," I said with a grin. "Used to be my sisters."

"Classic," Alex said. "That sister of yours must be a generous sort."

"To say the least," I said as Alex headed off to bed with a smile.

"No, I am not taking a shower with you," Kacey said as I followed her into her bedroom.

"What was that all about?" I asked in confusion.

"I remember very well the story of how your sister got to see Miranda naked," Kacey said. I had told that story just a few hours before.

"I was talking about me taking a shower and then you or the other way around," I said. "Not together."

"So you're saying you wouldn't want to?" she asked with a gotcha smile.

"Shut up," I said with a finger point. "Can I borrow your shower?"

"Yeah and you can even go first," Kacey said. I smiled and took that opportunity. I came out a few minutes later as Kacey passed by me on her way into the bathroom to take her own shower. I told her I'd meet her out front. Walking out to the car I found a surprise laying on the hood of my Mustang, Princess Miranda, Mr. Parker's cat. "Well hi there pretty baby."

"Meow!" came her immediate response as she purred with my petting of her head and under her chin. "You been here all night I bet."

"That's probably Ashlyn calling back," I commented to myself as I fished my phone out of my pocket. "Hello?"

"You coming to pick me up?" Matty asked from the other end of the phone.

"I am in a few," I said. "Waiting on Kacey now."

"AWWW do you like her?" Matty asked in a teasing voice as I rolled my eyes.

"I saw the way you looked at her yesterday so I bet you do," I replied.

"Nah wouldn't wanna make you jealous," she said as I took a deep breath and knew she got me with that one.

"And you also wouldn't wanna make Jennifer jealous," I fired back. "Huh?"

"True," Matty said. "I've been trying to get some off her you know."

"What you're hand still not working properly?" I asked and smiled smugly at that one.

"Actually..." Matty started to say and then dropped her voice a bit lower to avoid Mom and dad hearing, "It works so good you wouldn't believe."

"That's good to know," I said. "Not like I needed that info."

"Well you did teach me how to do it," Matty said.

"Matilda Lynn Kersh you know that's a lie," I said in protest.

"No, it's not," she said calmly. "You told me what to do, is that better?"

"Just don't spread that around," I said. "And that includes to your little girlfriend, Jennifer."

"I already told her," Matty said as I blushed. "Not about your advice but what I discovered."

"You are a little nympho," I said as she giggled and proceeded to floor me with her next claim.

"I did it three times this morning already," she said with a devilish tint to her voice. "And the third time was sooooo good. Curled my toes it lasted so long."

"Three times?" I heard my brain ask.

"How are you out of bed?" I asked as she laughed. "Forget that, I don't wanna know."

"You're the one who called me a nympho," she correctly pointed out. "I was just verifying it."

"I don't wanna hear any more," I said as Matty laughed and Kacey came around the corner of the building and smiled when she saw me. "I'm on my way to pick you up, bye."

"Do you think I got time to rub one more off?" Matty asked as I groaned and hung up to her laughing.

"Who's got you blushing so bad?" Kacey asked.

"You wouldn't believe it if I told you," I replied as she grinned.

"Telling everyone about that hot kiss we shared?" Kacey asked as she slid in beside me.

"We shared?" I asked. "You kissed me."

"Well you still shared it," she said as I shrugged.

"And just so you know that's the first time I ever kissed a girl," I said.

"Me too," she said. "And I'm gay."

"Say What Monday nights at 8:30 right after an all new Hey Mickie, Hey Mickie?" I asked as she laughed.

"I'm gay," she confirmed.

"That came out of nowhere," I said.

"So now you know," Kacey said.

"And how many people have you told?" I asked.

"The school guidance counselor, Mr. Noble," she said. "Which is how Stacey found out and then her big mouth told Ali."

"Is that why they pushed you down the stairs?" I asked. She simply nodded.

"But neither one of them mentioned it front of me," I said.

"Kinda weird they didn't," Kacey replied. "But I'm gonna have to deal with that when we get to school undoubtedly."

"So the guidance counselor told, Stacey?"

"More like she was in the office with Vanessa and over heard it," Kacey said as Mr. Parker came out of his apartment and smiled when he saw us and slowly came our way. "My best guess."

"Hold that feisty feline please," he said as I picked up Princess Miranda and she purred as she rolled around happily in my arms. "She slipped out this morning."

"I shall be there as always," he said. "And I haven't seen you in ages, you are Kaylyn Kersh?"

"According to my mother," I said. "Your old buddy Vanessa says hi."

"Give that lovely girl my best regards," Mr. Parker said. "Well I'm off to check the morning paper and grab the day's mail. You kids have fun at school."

"We will," Kacey and I said in unison as Mr. Parker laughed and walked off.

It took me a few minutes to take in the bit of bombshell info (Kacey being gay) as we made our way to school over the next fifteen or twenty minutes. And it really started to piss me off that Stacey and her little evil troll doll, Ali, would attack someone for that. I sure as hell wanted payback, now more than ever. We first picked up Matty and dropped off the little chatty Cathy at her school and a few minutes later turned the final corner as those thoughts cleared out of my head. I revved the engine to signal our arrival in the parking lot.

"And what about you? Are you gay? I hope, I hope?" she asked as I turned off the car.

"Not gay," I confirmed. "Ashlyn seems to think she was all along, but me? I think I'm probably more straight than anything."

"So hypothetical?" she asked as I nodded. "If I asked you out, seriously, on a date what would you say?"

"Right now I'd say I wanna be friends first," I replied. "Miranda and Ashlyn kinda got thrown together and that worked for them but I don't wanna do that."

"And that's not a no?" she asked.

"Of course it isn't," I said as she smiled. A light tapping at the window signaled the first appearance this morning for Mr. Steele.

"My office now," he demanded after I had rolled down the window.

"Yes sir," I said as he walked away looking very much in a foul mood. "What did we do?"

"Parking lot brawl?" Kacey asked as I remembered suddenly and slid out of the car, only to notice the swarm of the Pathetics as they came towards us. Sans Ali and Stacey of course, but now being lead by another girl, Jesse Witherspoon. "What's happening?"

"Come out this side," I said as Kacey slid out the driver's and got in behind me. Wrapping her good arm around my waist protectively.

"Did you forget the part where you and your little friends attacked me?" Kacey asked.

"You got a fat lip and a broke arm you best pipe down," Jesse demanded.

"She could kick your ass with one bad arm," I said. "No wait she already did that."

"That was a.... lucky.... you two are fags," Jesse stammered.

"And you use food stamps to buy your six babies formula," I said as a giggle rippled through the Pathetics.

"I don't have any kids, you fag," she spat back.

"But you do know where they come from? Big white stork with a sheet in his beak and staggers a bit when he walks?" I asked.

"That is so retarded," Jesse spat back.

"It sure was," Kacey said as I laughed.

"Break it up," Mr. Steele said from the school's main entrance. "Ms. Kersh, Ms. Ericsson without further delay."

"This is not over," Jesse declared as she stormed off with her tag alongs in pursuit.

"Who knew that group had three girls with enough brains to form complete sentences," I said as Kacey laughed. We headed inside and got motioned on into Mr. Steele's office to find him looking worried/upset. "Well we're here."

"Ms. Asher, Ms. Ericsson I received some very troubling news early this morning," Mr. Steele said. "It seems that Ali Curtis suffered some injuries as a result of her parking lot confrontation with you two."

"She attacked me," Kacey said.

"And her and her friends attacked me when I tried to help," I said.

"Ms. Curtis has already admitted to that," Mr. Steele said as I gave him a disbelieving look. "Considering her track record I was rather surprised too."

"So you talked to her?"

"Her mother called to inform me of everything," Mr. Steele said. "Including the fact that her daughter was responsible for the violence in the parking lot."

"County General is where they send everyone without insurance," Kacey said. "I know; they sent me there."

"Why would they send her to County?" I asked. "She must have money, she runs around with Stacey and the snobs."

"Ms. Asher, your name calling of other students is not needed and will not be tolerated," Mr. Steele stated.

"Sorry, sir," I replied.

"And I am sorry but I cannot comment on Ms. Curtis' financial situation," Mr. Steele said cryptically. "But if you, Ms. Ericsson, choose to look further into the matter, on your own, you may just find that you have more in common than you think."

"You're weird," I said as Mr. Steele pointed his finger at me as a warning as Kacey and I laughed.

"Maybe you should think about visiting her in the hospital Ms. Ericsson," Mr. Steele suggested.

"Yeah she nearly breaks my arm and I'm gonna..."

"...and I think you've exacted your revenge," Mr. Steele said. "Usually when someone makes a grand gesture such as that would be, they are met by a surprising gesture in return."

"Yeah she'll flip me off and tell some really funny poor girl jokes," Kacey said as I gently took her hand in mine. "I don't think so."

"Have it your way," Mr. Steele said. "But be aware if you don't wanna deal with this little situation when it comes up again, I will."

"What does mean?" I asked.

"It means I have other ways of dealing with unruly students with a hard head," Mr. Steele said. "You're free to go."

"But..." Kacey started to complain.

"I said you are free to go," Mr. Steele said in a stern voice and a point to the door. Kacey and I, both frustrated, made our way out and closed the door behind us.

"Hey," Vanessa said. "You two connected at the hip now?"

"She gave me a ride to school is all," Kacey said.

"OH really?" Vanessa asked.

"It's not like that," I said. "I slept over at her place and..."

"OHHHHHH really?" Vanessa asked as I rolled my eyes. "And just what were you two doing?"

"Making love in the hot tub," Kacey said as Vanessa laughed. "Nothing."

"Anyway..." Vanessa said as she held up a framed picture of her lady love, Lila. "This one wants you two to come to dinner."

"Why us?"

"Well she misses seeing you..." Vanessa said with a finger pointed at me. "And she wants to meet you."

"Why?" Kacey asked in confusion.

"She somehow got the idea you two were dating?" Vanessa asked with a sheepish grin. "Oops?"

"You have always been a terrible human being," I said as to Vanessa as Kacey and her laughed. "Seriously?"

"She got the wrong idea," she said. "And she was asleep before I could fully explain. Please? It'll be fun and we haven't had anyone over..."

"OK!" I said finally.

"Excuse me?" Kacey asked. "You don't speak for me."

"I know that..."

"If you want me to go then you best ask me out on a date," Kacey said. It just then dawned on me how I had (again) backed myself into a situation unintentionally. "Go on."

"This is better than reality TV," Vanessa giggled.

"First, you hush," I said to Vanessa. "And secondly I am only doing this to make Lila happy because she's been through a lot. So Kacey..."

"OK, listen," I said. "I wanna see Lila and I'm asking honestly if you'll go with me. We can eat dinner with them and then maybe go see a movie."

"Sounds like a winner to me," Vanessa offered. "I'd say yes."

"And this is a date?" Kacey asked.

"It better be since we are apparently already dating," I said and then looked directly at Vanessa and said, "Big mouth."

"I'll go," Kacey said and then leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. A really good kiss too. One that had me this time kissing her back for a split second before she pulled away and grinned. "MMMM I'll see you tonight."

"MMMMMMMM!" Vanessa cooed as Kacey walked off with a happy smile.

"This is all your fault!" I said to Vanessa in protest. She laughed out loud as I glared at her.